That Dang Season
by Hirikari
Summary: It's spring! Days are longer, flowers are everywhere, and animals are out to have a little fun with their mates, if you know what I'm talking about. Two teenagers in heat and various missions are making them closer than ever before, both in the superhero night and the school hours. But when trouble hits them, will their flame diminish or grow hotter?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I am in love with the Miraculous Ladybug show (And Chat Noir is my bae, teehee) and I would love to join this awesome fandom! This was an idea that popped to mind and I really hope that you guys can support me. Enjoy reading!**

The night air blew across the city of Paris in harsh gushes of wind, sending chills down the spines of late-night walkers. Even though the lamp posts were burning with light and guidance, it did nothing to soothe the anxiousness of the people. Snow was lightly raining from above, though the temperature had risen during the last few days. Puddles dotted the sidewalk, half frozen, due to the already melting snow. But the cold still pricked at the bones of two teenagers who stood atop a high roof in one of the less busy parts of the city. Their scarves and wool jackets did little to warm their bodies. Light-clothes were, unfortunately, a must when they needed to chase after an akuma. On the first day of winter, Chat Noir had gotten a nasty gash on his back because his earmuffs had blocked his ability to hear the enemy approaching. Ladybug's yoyo had gotten tangled with her boots' shoelace and had pulled her legs out from under her. After that, they had, with some pain and relentless, agreed to lessen their garments for the sake of safety.

Ladybug rolled her yoyo down and brought it back up into her fist. "It's peaceful today," she smiled at her partner.

"And the romance of Paris is captivating tonight, my lady," he purred back. "Purr-haps we should call it a night?"

She felt more than saw him stepping closer. She held a finger in between them to stop him from proceeding any further. "Chat, it's far too early. What if something unexpected happens?" She glared at his hands which made a move to grab her. Sheepishly, he retracted them and brought one to the back of his head, grinning. "Paris needs us to focus, Chat."

"But lovebug," he slumped his shoulders, feigning disappointment. "It's the last days of winter and we've never had a snowball fight!"

Ladybug let a breathy laugh out before rolling her eyes. "The kitten in you wants to play in wet snow? What's next, are you gonna ask for a bath soon?"

He scrunched his nose at the sky before grumbling, "Harsh scrubbing and paw-ful shampoo doesn't sit well with my fur. But cold balls of challenge are different!"

Again, Ladybug laughed. "Ridiculous."

Chat Noir crouched down at the edge of the roof, looking over the glow of illuminations scattered over Paris. His tail swished behind him. With a gulp, Ladybug turned away, her cheeks becoming the same color as her mask. It was irrational, she knew, because how would someone find a cat's tail intriguing? This was her partner. But the last couple of days had burdened her mind with unwanted thoughts. Chat Noir's constant flirting peeked her interest unlike before and she anticipated it for a whole day. His cat ears suddenly looked so attractive on him to the point where she had tried to take them in her hands. She became more and more conscious of how his suit fitted so damn tight on his body that her eyes would travel south on more than one occasion.

Hiding her creeping blush, she turned away and pretended to stare at the river ahead. She hadn't done anything embarrassing, thank goodness, but it was taking so much of her self control to just hold her hands steady these days.

"My lady!" Chat abruptly shouted.

Ladybug jumped. "What?"

"Over there!" He pointed with a clawed finger.

A man and a woman stood at the edge of a sidewalk. A leather bag was between the two, with the man tugging it furiously out of the woman's arms. "Get your filthy hands off my purse!" She screamed. "Help! Somebody help!"

Chat Noir extended his baton while Ladybug threw her yoyo. Landing near them, Ladybug exclaimed, "Stop! Let that woman go!"

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" The woman sighed in relief. But it was a mistake to look away from the thief. With one brutal yank, the straps of the bag slipped off her arm.

"Aha! Gotcha."

Chat Noir clanked his baton to the pavement in front of the retreating man. "Hold your cats, sir," he said, "we haven't even played yet."

"Return the bag right now." Ladybug demanded.

"As if!" He bellowed. From his pocket he produced a kitchen knife. "Would you two honestly attack an old man like me? I thought you kids fought the akuma, not a homeless man!"

"We fight evil, and you are committing a crime." Ladybug stepped forward, yoyo at the ready. "Please, we don't want to hurt you. Just give the bag to us and we'll be on our way."

"Never!" Faster than any of them expected, he lunged and swiped the knife at Chat Noir. The younger boy managed to move away, the blade mere inches from his nose. Frustrated, he sliced the air again and missed.

Ladybug's yoyo circled the man's hand tightly. Pulling it, she sent him sprawling to the ground. He grunted once before taking his knife and cutting the string. Ladybug gasped as she brought the remaining string to her face, bewildered. Chucking the yoyo off of him, he made another move to attack Chat Noir.

"LB!" He yelped when the blade cut a few centimeters of his hair. "I could use some help here! I hate cat-fighting the citizens!"

"My yoyo's broken, Chat!"

Letting out a sound of distress, Chat Noir plunged his baton to his opponent's stomach, flipped backwards and landed beside the quivering woman. "I'm going easy here, old man." He said. "We'd purr-fer if you just give this lady her─"

Out of the blue, the knife flew in the air and scraped the side of his face, dragging out a cry of surprise from his throat.

Ladybug pounced immediately, kicking behind his knees and grabbing the bag as he fell. "Go now!" She ordered loudly.

Scrambling to his feet, he looked at them once, with a hint of fear and anger, and fled.

"Thank you," the woman stuttered. "Are you alright, Chat Noir?"

He was cupping his left cheek with a gloved hand when he replied with a grin, "Feline fine, miss."

"Here's your purse," Ladybug handed it to her.

"Do you need any help?" She asked kindly. "I can go buy a bandage for you─"

"Not necessary, miss. But thank you for your offer." He bowed politely. "Have a nice trip home."

After retrieving her yoyo from the ground, Ladybug allowed him to wrap his arms around her and catapult them up to a roof. She wasted no time in taking his face in her hands and examined his cut.

"Bugaboo, I'm touched," he playfully slid a hand behind her back to keep her close. "If you had wanted my undivided attention, you could have just said so."

"Be quiet, Chat." She scolded before running a tentative finger down the cut. It was a long horizontal scar that started from his cheekbone to nearly his ear. He flinched away from her hand. "It stings that much?"

"Yeah, a little."

Putting her fingers under his chin, she turned his head sideways and peered closer. "It doesn't look that deep."

Chat said nothing.

It was dark, and the moon was hidden behind thick clouds. She couldn't get a clear sight of how bad the injury was. She leaned closer. Was it going to get infected? Winter brought handfuls of diseases and bacteria. But surely this little cut wouldn't─

She felt something walk up her spine.

"C-Chat?" She gasped.

"My lady," he breathed in her ear. How had they closed the distance between them so quickly? He snaked another hand to her hip and brought her closer so their bodies pressed ever so firmly together. "You were so close to where I needed you to be, my lady."

Ladybug exhaled slowly. His voice, oh god his voice, was so husky all of a sudden. "Chat, I was just looking at your cut."

"You were inches away from my mouth." His fingers continued their journey up and finally reached the back of her neck.

Her body failed her. The heat that radiated off his chest and the way his breath tickled her nose was so welcoming, so intoxicating, that she didn't have the willpower to push him away like she usually did.

He seemed to notice this as he brought his lips to her earlobe. She whimpered audibly.

As soon as he heard it, he groaned and brought them down onto the hard cement. Balancing himself on his knees and elbows, he discarded her scarf and littered kisses down her neck.

"Chat Noir!"

"I've been waiting long enough." He reached her collarbone and bit down, escalating her heartbeat tenfold. Holding her hips down with his hands, he let his thumb travel along her stomach and sometimes dangerously lower.

Beeping sounds ripped through their senses. Halting, his lips hovered above her chin. "We're going to change back soon." She murmured weakly.

"Mouse we, bugaboo?" For the first time tonight, he looked at her with seriousness. "We could stay. There's nobody else around. Our identities would be safe with each other."

"But, we agreed─"

"I want to stay." He pressed. Their beeping seemed to be louder as he continued, "I want you to look at the real me."

Her earrings were beeping frantically now. Through it, she could feel that Tikki was buying as much time as she could for her, but it wouldn't be long before her mask disappeared. With a heavy heart, she pushed him off her and pointed to the distance. She did not look at him. She couldn't bear the hurt that was most likely in his eyes then. She feared that if she looked at him, she would change her mind and ask him to come back. But they had made a promise to not reveal what was underneath their disguise. It was for the sake of their loved ones, she had said. It was to keep everyone safe. She thought it to be true. Then, why was she so reluctant now? Why was she yearning for the truth after all these months of hiding?

A few seconds passed before she heard the familiar clinking of his metal baton against stone, and when she flicked her eyes to where he previously stood, he was gone.

Her transformation flowed out of her like water over a cliff. Her nerves were tired and numb. The jacket that hung over her shoulders didn't stop the shaking. She had thought that it was because of the pelting snow, but when she looked down and saw water droplets falling, she reached a hand up and felt the tears hanging from her lashes.

Tikki touched her knuckles gently. "Marinette?" The little kwami whispered worriedly.

"I've been meaning to tell you something, Tikki," Marinette hiccupped. "I just don't understand what's happening. I thought…"

Tikki's small paws wiped away a tear from her cheek. "We should go home and talk about it."

The way back home was filled with silence. The bakery, though warm and smelled of melted butter, didn't do much for her aching body. She only had enough energy to kiss her parents goodnight and tell them that she wasn't feeling well before bounding up the steps and falling on her bed. She grabbed the closest pillow and hugged it against her.

"What's the problem, Marinette?" Tikki asked. She floated over and rested on the girl's palm.

"These past few days, I've felt… weird." Gulping in air, she continued with a shuddering voice, "Like my hormones are playing tricks on me and all I want to do is kiss someone. I didn't feel like this last year. Is something wrong with me? With us?"

"Oh, dear," The red kwami touched her own cheek, contemplating. "Um. You hadn't met Chat Noir last year."

"Okay. And?"

"Before I tell you directly, you must understand that you and I share each other's traits, therefore you are part ladybug. Your happy personality is a given to being a lucky creature. People love you as Ladybug and you are a peaceful thought for most people."

"I know all that, Tikki. But what's changed?"

Tikki paused. "Your hormones are also mixed with a ladybug's hormones."

Marinette stayed quiet, not really following.

"We ladybugs have mating season on spring. Winter is on the brink of ending right now. You're having reactions to other males because of this."

She shot out of bed faster than a bullet and sat up straight, her mind swirling and her mouth dry. " _What_?!"

"Calm down, Marinette."

"But I didn't have a reaction last spring! Well, sure, I got little fantasies about Adrien, but it was only that! I never had an instinct to k-kiss someone before!"

"That's because Chat Noir came _after_ spring."

Raising an eyebrow, she stared at her. "Chat Noir is the cause of all this?"

"Technically, you both are. You two are connected. After he came into the picture, and having you two grow as inseparable as you are now, the hormones have kicked in, and it's in very full swing, I see."

"Tikki!" The teenager blushed when she heard her laugh. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry. But you should have said something. That little scene on the roof was a bit…"

If possible, she turned a deeper shade of red than her Ladybug suit. "T-That… I um…"

"It's not just you, Marinette. Chat Noir also has reactions to this. It's because spring is so close already that you two start having intimate interactions. It happens all the time."

"Yeah, but I have Adrien!" She covered her face with her hands in sorrow. "Oh, Adrien! I don't want to cheat on you!"

"Please, Marinette, you're not even dating him. Besides," With more care, Tikki tugged Marinette's hands away from her eyes and smiled, "it's only for spring. Once it's over, you can go back to drooling over Adrien all you like."

Still stubborn, she shook her head. "I love Adrien. It doesn't feel right. And yet…" Again, tears welled up in her eyes. She furiously rubbed them away. She hated crying. "Tikki, I'm scared. I know in my heart that I feel wrong for wanting Chat Noir instead of the boy I've been crushing on for such a long time, but… I wanted it. I wanted Chat Noir to kiss me so badly back there. I don't want to betray my feelings like this. I'm scared."

"Don't think that way, Marinette. The previous Ladybugs felt the same way as you, since they also have a loved one in their real lives. But they came out stronger every year thanks to it. You should hold your head high and meet Chat Noir tomorrow with confidence."

"The one I want to see right now is Adrien." She bit her tongue to suppress the guilt that her lie brought.

School hadn't changed her gloomy mood.

Gripping her jacket tighter around her, she kept an eye out for the door, waiting for Adrien to come in. She had spent the entire morning light-headed and fuzzy. When Sabine had asked, she only managed a smile before packing up her breakfast and going to school early. There were few students in class at that hour. Kim and Max were talking at the back. Chloe was gushing about shoes to Sabrina who in turn wrote everything down on a notepad.

Alya wasn't there to help her girl problems. She could really use some advice.

Not a moment later, the door opened. And her heart fell. It was only Nino. He sat in his seat and turned around to greet her. "Yo, Marinette. Fancy seeing you here so early."

"I misread my clock."

"Bummer. If I were you, I'd totes get some more sleep. You look tired, dude."

She shrugged in reply. She dug around her brown paper bag and produced a dumpling. "Want some? I brought too much from home." She handed it to him with a friendly smile.

"Awesome! So, what, is this gonna give me super cool kung fu powers like Jackie Chan? Oh, oh, or Bruce Lee?"

Marinette laughed in what felt like years. Count on Nino to make your sour face fly away. "Sure, sure, with enough dumplings every day, you can probably climb the walls too!"

They laughed again and Nino sunk his teeth in the delicacy. "Yum! Your bakery is totally off the hook with these babies. I'd probably swing by and get some more."

"You're welcome in the shop anytime as long as you don't eat the displays."

"Don't worry, dude, Adrien practically has a leash on me whenever we go snacking."

Her heart fluttered at the mention of his name. What would she do if he came by the bakery? Would she stutter like a bumbling idiot and embarrass herself in her own house? Would she give him a good impression and he could be smitten enough to come back? She snorted to herself at the latter. Like that would happen.

She didn't hear the door opening. Someone sat in front of her. Her eyes caught sight of his blond hair and the blue scarf she had knitted for him before. She internally squealed in delight and hid her mouth behind her hand.

"What'up dude." The two guys fist-bumped. "Dang, did your driver run you over or something? Look at that huge bandage!"

Marinette's head bopped up in shock. Bandage? Hurt? Was he hurt?

"OMG, Adri-kins!" Chloe's high-pitched voice stung their ears. "Your gorgeous face! What happened? Did an idiot stylist cut you? Did a sharp outfit graze you? Oh, baby, that's terrible!"

Marinette glared at her in annoyance and stood from her seat.

"I'm fine, Chloe. It was an accident in fencing."

Poking her head over the blonde girl's shoulder, she looked at the rather large white bandage on his cheek. Her eyes widened into saucers.

"But, don't you guys have that weird bee mask? How'd this happen?" Nino made a move to touch the bandage, but Adrien swatted his hand away.

"It… fell off. And my friend accidentally scratched me. It's not that bad." He grinned in assurance. "Totally fine, guys."

"I'll go tell me daddy to book a hospital for you!" She pressed a button on her phone and brought it up to her ear.

"Chloe, don't do that." He sighed. "It's just a scratch. No big deal."

"But your fencing class is tomorrow, not yesterday." Marinette unconsciously piped up.

All eyes were on her.

She saw Adrien pale a bit and swallow. "Uh. No, I don't." He coughed.

"Since when did _you_ know his schedule?" Chloe pointed an accusing finger at her.

"I… I uhh… I don't!" She regretted opening her mouth. "I was guessing!"

"Well, keep your lame guesses to yourself." She made a show of flipping her hair back. "Come on, Sabrina, let's go get a nurse to take a look at poor Adri-kins." She held his arm and planted a lipstick-sticking kiss on his good cheek. "I know you're hurting deep down, Adrien, and I'm gonna go fix it for you!"

Once the yellow and white figure was gone, Marinette huffed. Her fingers tingled strangely like she wanted to hit something. She evened out her breaths, in and out, to calm her jumbled emotions. It's the hormones, she told herself. Just hormones. She would not let it leak and take over her.

She found Adrien having an intense look on his face. She whipped her head to the side and behind for the person he might be looking at. When she found no one, she turned and found herself caught in his intent gaze. She paused. And then turned bright red.

"By any chance, did I bump into you last night?" He asked, his eyes never wavering from hers.

"Oh. Uh. I don't… recall… I was very busy. But not like, busy every night or something 'cause I-I'm pretty flexible… and stuff. Yeah."

He raised a confused eyebrow.

She mentally shrieked. "Sorry. I didn't sleep. I mean, I _did_ sleep but not… not good."

"Me, too."

She only got to tilt her head before Alya came bursting in and entangling her arm around her neck. "Marinette! I got a big scoop! Like, a huge, huge scoop, gurl!" She giggled. She halted when she saw Adrien. She looked at her best friend, at Adrien and back again. "Bad timing?"

"Absolutely not, Alya!" Hurriedly, she pushed her up the steps and into their seat. "What's that big scoop?"

Hesitating, she furrowed her brows at the back of Adrien's head before finally focusing back on her excitement. "I found _this_!" She plucked a red circular object from her bag and dangled it proudly. Marinette's soul threatened to slip away at that instant. "It's Ladybug's yoyo!" Alya half-whispered.

" _What_?" Adrien, his eyebrows nearly hitting his hairline and his jaw slacked, nearly shouted, "Lady-"

Alya shushed him frantically, making sure the others didn't hear. Unfortunately, Nino, being directly in front of her, noticed. He turned around and saw the yoyo before Alya could hide it. "Dudes, isn't that-"

All three of them shushed him.

"Oops, I mean," he cleared his throat and said in a quieter tone, "Isn't that Ladybug's?"

"You'd better not tell." Alya hissed. "That goes to all of you. This is top secret. If the press finds this thing, they're gonna ship it to the nearest museum and Ladybug will never get it back."

"How'd you get your hands on it?" Yesterday, she had forgotten to take her weapon with her because she was so worried about Chat Noir. She had originally thought that after transforming back, everything would be absorbed back into Tikki. Maybe if she wasn't holding it, it'd stay regardless if she was around or not.

"I legit tripped on it on my way here. It was half-buried in snow." She tucked it into her backpack and zipped it tight. "I'm gonna fix it for her and give it back."

"I'm pretty sure if you just gave it back, the magic would─"

"No, no, no." Alya waved her hand dismissively. "If Ladybug sees that I've fixed it and I kept it out of harm's way, she'll be so grateful and she'll _have_ to say yes to an exclusive interview!"

"Guilt-trip her, nice." Nino gave her a high-five.

"I think Marinette's right, though." Adrien quickly interjected. Marinette had to put some effort as to not faint. "You should just give it back. She's gonna need it when she fights crime."

"And that's exactly why I'm gonna work on it today and give her the word through my Ladyblog!" She clapped her hands once. "I'm so psyched!"

Tikki rattled in Marinette's bag. She touched the surface and tried to soothe her. The two shared the same thought. They had to get it back as soon as possible.

 **That's just an opening chapter guys. There's a lot more to come and I really hope you all can support me as this is my first dive in the Miraculous fandom. Please drop a review and tell me what you think! Lots of love from Hirikari :)**


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you think you're doing?" Alya shot. Her gaze was fiercely locked at Marinette's hands, half in and half out of her bag.

Sheepishly, complete with a nervous giggle, she retracted. "Your zipper was undone!" She tried.

"No, it was not." Alya crossed her arms defiantly. "What's up with you? I keep catching you stealing glances at my backpack and now you're snooping. Seriously, Marinette, what gives?"

"Don't be so suspicious of me, Alya!"

The other girl raised a not-so-amused eyebrow. "Whatever. Are you coming with me for lunch or nah?"

Nodding a bit too enthusiastically, she stepped forward to follow her out the door when suddenly a hand tapped her arm. Adrien looked up at her and motioned for her to bend down. Marinette's blood erupted into her head in gushes, making the room spin. Rather impatient, he tugged her down. "Listen, I need your help." He whispered in her ear.

"Adrien… so close…guhh..."

He raised an eyebrow before snapping his fingers in front of her crossed eyes. She gasped. "You okay?" He asked.

"Oh!" She straightened her posture and fumbled with one of her pigtails. "I'm sorry, I wasn't focusing! You were just so hot and─ ah, no, I mean your breath was so hot, b-but not that you're not hot or anything, you are!" She bit the inside of her cheek to prevent any more nonsense to sputter out. She saw Alya waiting for her by the door. Her eyes darted from her, Adrien, and back again. "Alya's in a hurry so I'd better─"

"Rain check it!"

Her eyes snapped to him in surprise. "Why?"

His green eyes examined their surroundings, like he was making sure no one was listening in, and said, "It's really important. Can you please cancel your plans and come with me?"

Baffled, Marinette looked to her best friend again. She tapped her watch and made a gesture that they needed to go. "Alright. Just a sec."

Bouncing over, Marinette made an apologetic face. "You go on without me, Alya. I um… have an emergency to attend."

"Is this emergency related to Adrien, by any chance?"

She gulped audibly. "No?"

Alya shook her head and laugh. "Finally! Gurl, go get your man. It's about time you two go out for lunch together." Alya hugged her with one arm. "It's totally fine. I can totally get this thing repaired on my own. This is _your_ day. Just don't forget to give me the juicy details afterwards, 'kay?"

Marinette couldn't help the blush coming. Did Adrien really ask her out to lunch? After hearing Alya, it _did_ sound like it. She tried a glance over her shoulder and caught Adrien smiling at her. She quietly squealed. "Alya, wait, I might need you!" She stopped her from leaving. The happiness in her faded to panic. "You know how I am with him! I'll ruin my chances and he'll never ask me out again and we'll never get married and have babies and we'll never─"

"Whoa there, Marinette. Ya got this in the bag. Just chill out and be yourself. Or, uhh, not too much of yourself. Be the cool, smooth version of yourself. Besides, I have to go fix this yoyo and give it back as soon as possible, remember?"

"Oh… yeah…"

Wishing her luck, Alya disappeared through the door.

Marinette sucked in a long breath before marching back to Adrien's seat. She hoped that her movements weren't too much like a robot gone haywire. "So!" She squeaked. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Um, how about that lunch?"

If she had thought that his car was cool from the outside, the inside of it was wicked. The black leather was comfortable and soft, and she could stretch her legs completely out in front of her. The back seat was so spacious that even her papa could fit in there. And more importantly, Adrien was sitting next to her! He was casually looking out the window, with that golden blond hair shining with the sunlight and his green eyes─

Marinette stopped and looked closer and noticed from his reflection in the glass that his eyes were a bit sad. It held no sparkle. In class, he would always have this glint in them as if he was excited about everything, and his smile would make it light up even more. But it was gone then.

She hesitated for awhile before she had the courage to clear her throat. He looked back at her, seeming to remember that she was there. "Uh, so, where are we eating?" She croaked.

"I haven't really decided yet, actually." He chuckled in embarrassment. After they pulled out from the school and into the next street, he continued, "Where do you usually eat?"

"I don't eat out much. I mostly eat at home, but I brought money so we can go wherever you want."

"Oh, that reminds me! I loved your dad's pie from my last visit. Eating at your place sounds pretty 'sweet' to me." He winked.

Marinette deadpanned. "Did you just make a pun?"

"I don't know 'pie' you're asking that."

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him, and he elbowed her back. "That was horrible."

"Was it? I thought it was pun-tastic."

She held back her laugh and took a moment to read his expression. He was grinning, and his eyes shone with genuine amusement. Was she just imagining things a minute ago? She reasoned with herself that it was probably a play of light and the real him was this cheerful boy she knew and loved. It must've been it. "My parents are gonna bombard us with treats once we get there."

"Hey, I work out weekly, so a few extra pounds wouldn't kill me."

She fought the urge to daydream about the working out bit. When the familiar bakery appeared in her sights, they hopped off the vehicle and entered, the little jingle of the bell welcoming them. There were a few customers inside and her mother was busying herself with the cash register. Marinette went over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm home, mom."

"Hello, dear." She said with a smile. "Your father is in the kitchen if you need lunch. Where's Alya?"

"She had an errand to run. But, errr…" She pointed her thumb at the boy behind her.

Sabine's entire face lit up in delight. "Oh! Yes, yes, do come in! I'll be with you in a minute after I finish up."

"Can I help you with anything?" Adrien offered politely.

"Such a good young man! After you join the family, you can certainly help."

"MOM!" Marinette blanched. Adrien furrowed his brows in return. "C-Come on, Adrien! Let's get some food!"

The kitchen was full of noise. Tom was rolling up some dough when he noticed his daughter coming. "Hey, papa." She waved.

"Hi, sweetheart. Lunch is in the microwave." He inclined his head and beamed much like Sabine had done when he saw Adrien. "Ah, Adrien my boy, welcome!"

"Hello, sir. I'm sorry for intruding." Adrien took a seat at one of the stools.

"Ridiculous! You're a guest. Please, make yourself at home."

With her hands in mittens, she placed the hot tray on the counter and sat next to the blond. While she was scooping the food onto her plate, she felt a light kick on her ankle. Adrien was pointing up towards the ceiling. From the corner of her eye, she made sure that her father wasn't looking and bobbed her head, not really getting his signal. He pointed again and indicated the stairs with a flick of his eyes.

Alarm seized her like a tight glove. Her posters! Her posters of _him_! And all those photos hanging on her walls! She couldn't let him see them. She couldn't bring them upstairs.

Silently grabbing a sticky note and a pen, she wrote down a message and dragged it to him. _"What's the matter?"_

He quickly scribbled something and handed it to her from below and away from Tom's sight. Marinette grinned nervously at him. Tom continued applying cream on some cupcakes. Sighing in relief, she read his note. _"We need to talk privately."_

Still, they couldn't do that in her room. When he had come over to play video games, she'd had a head start and cleaned everything up (mostly) and even then she had to be careful. She racked her brain for an idea.

Grabbing the food, she said, "Papa, Adrien and I have some school stuff to do. We're just gonna eat upstairs and do them, okay?"

"Sure! I'll bring some snacks later on!"

"That'd be great, sir!" Adrien called and bounded up the stairs after her.

Opening the attic door, they were greeted with Marinette's pink bedroom. Not as he was expecting, Marinette ushered him to follow her through another flight of stairs. They emerged out into her balcony, a cold air blowing through but still crisp with the promise of spring. Marinette placed their food on a small table and sat, Adrien copying her actions. "Wouldn't it be better if we talked in your room instead?" Adrien asked as he rubbed his upper arms.

"Uh, my room's a complete mess! I mean, a tornado practically hit it a few hours ago!"

"But we just passed it and it looked pretty fine to me."

"Right. Well. I just thought that it'd be a lot nicer to talk with a view of the city!"

Adrien frowned and pulled his collar up to block the wind.

Marinette felt bad for making them eat in the cold. Really, she did. Asking him to wait, she went back down and searched around her closet for something to wear. "Marinette, Adrien's right." Tikki said, floating around her. "You're gonna freeze! Just invite him down!"

"And let him see all those pictures? Absolutely not! He'd never talk to me again!"

"Who are you talking to?" Adrien's voice drifted from the top of the stairs. Tikki took cover in Marinette's jacket.

"Um, I-I was just uhh… just… t-talking to errr… myself?"

Adrien descended and looked at something at a distance. Following his gaze, Marinette's color drained out of her. He was looking at her photos! "Is that me?" He squinted and walked forward.

Marinette interjected his path and put herself between him and the far wall. "You? What? No! Of course not! Let's go up!"

"It's really cold, Marinette. We'd catch the flu." He brushed past her and gazed at the dozens of pictures. "What the…?"

"It's not what you think! I-I uhh… I just… ahh…"

He fingered the edge of one. With his back still to her, he said, "Are you a fan or something?"

"Adrien, don't get the wrong idea. I admire… your work." She felt Tikki move. The kwami was probably slapping her head in frustration. "I love how you… p-pose? Yeah, and the clothes you wear. I mean, they're so stylish and I've always wanted to be a designer so… they're just up there… as inspiration?"

With every passing heartbeat, she could feel her heart tumbling lower and lower. Was he freaked out? Did he find her creepy now? Oh God, was he going to report her to the police for stalking? Was he going to turn to Chloe and have her be his girlfriend? Was he─

Adrien followed the heart-shaped line with his finger. "You sure this stuff is for inspiration?"

"Marinette!" Tikki whispered frantically, her head low and well-hidden. "Now's your chance to tell him how you feel! Tell him!"

"Are you nuts? I can't say that!" Marinette was a tad bit too loud.

"So, they _aren't_ just for inspiration?"

"No! I mean, yes? I mean…"

A loud explosion erupted.

The floor shook and the walls shuddered violently, making some of her pencils fall off the desk and into Adrien's nimble hands. Marinette's feet caught on something and she collapsed and held the carpet for dear life. Adrien ducked and held her to prevent the oncoming dust and pebbles from hitting her. A rather large portion of the ceiling broke and struck him between his shoulder blades. He yelled out, followed by Marinette.

And it all stopped.

The world was steady again as if the earthquake never happened. Her picture frames stopped swaying. Her pens stopped rolling about the floor. But the damage still remained. Their tipped-over mugs were lying in shards. Her books were scattered. Her dolls and cushions were out of place, some had even fallen from the second level. Dazed, Marinette looked up. The roof held spider webs of cracks and at a couple of sections it had missing pieces of cement.

Adrien grunted. "Oh my God," Marinette gasped. She grabbed his shoulders and watched him wince. "Are you alright?"

"Just a bruise." He hissed through gritted teeth. "What about you? Okay there?"

She gaped at him. He was the one who got injured. He took the blow for her. He shielded her. And he was asking _her_ if she was fine? She abruptly stood up and pointed, anger flowing through her veins. "How dare you!"

He staggered back in shock. "Wha…?"

"I am perfectly okay! I. Am. Okay. And do you know why? It's because an idiot goofball of a model just saved me! And you know what else? He is hurt! The love of my life protected me after he found out that I'm some kind of fanatic and now he's asking me if I'm okay?!"

"Wait, I never said─" He halted, blinking several times. "The love of… Marinette…"

"You shouldn't have done that!" She went on. "I absolutely hate it when other people get hurt in my place! And you… especially you…" She fought the tears from releasing. Standing high and looking down at him, her bottom lip quivered, her fists shaking vigorously at her sides. She barely heard her attic door bursting open.

"Kids!" Her papa shouted. He hoisted himself up and ran up to engulf his daughter in a tight hug. She returned the gesture with equal force. "Come on, we need to get out. We have no idea when another wave hits us." His sights fell on Adrien, kneeling and holding his shoulder. "Goodness, Adrien, are you─"

"Debris got him on the back." Marinette drawled. "Papa, please, help him."

When they were going to pass her, Adrien brushed her fingers. Blue and green met for a second before she pulled away. "Marinette, the yoyo." He called out. "You have to get the yoyo from Alya. Right now."

"Yoyo? Son, surely it's not the right time to think about a child's toy! You have a badly swollen back─" Marinette bit back a whimper, "─and you need a hospital!"

At the front door, Sabine heaved a sigh of relief. "Hurry! We mustn't be inside a building when─"

Another rough shake knocked them off their feet. The displays of donuts danced around them, a chorus of breaking glass sliced the air, and multiple car alarms blasted from afar. People ran across the street in terror, screaming and yelling for salvation. And in the midst of chaos, a figure clad in brown emerged. He stomped the ground and cracks formed along the pavement. It zigzagged and slithered like a snake, swallowing up motorcycles and bikes. "I am Rumble! The world will buzz at the sound of my name!"

"An akumatized man?" Adrien attempted to move but his wound limited his actions. Sabine balanced him back up. He whirled his head and repeated, "Get the yoyo, Marinette! Ladybug can't fight this guy without it!"

"What about Chat Noir?" She fired.

"Stop being so stubborn and go, damn it!"

Clicking her tongue, she darted out the door and leaped into the fog of grime ahead.

 **Not gonna lie, your reactions to my first chapter were off the hook! And coincidentally, my inspiration has been flowing for the past couple of days and I decided to gift you a quick update! The next chapter will be a lot of fun to write indeed. (Evil cackle)**


	3. Chapter 3

Alya was hiding behind a mailbox.

By the time Marinette had found her, her phone was in her hand, video-ready. "Yo, peeps!" She was saying. "News from Paris is that some wacko dude is splitting the streets - literally! I'm positive that Ladybug and Chat noir will show up, so I'm not gonna panic or-"

"Alya!"

The girl screamed and juggled her phone for a few seconds, nearly dropping it. Cursing, she deleted the video and turned to the owner of the voice. She opened her mouth, probably to tell her off, but she seemed to register Marinette's presence as she sprinted towards her, engulfing her in a bear hug. "Alya…" Marinette soothed her. The girl's shoulders were shaking. She must've been scared, Marinette thought.

She was about to comfort her when she heard Alya laugh. "Um. Alya?"

Alya had a wicked grin on her face, the kind of grin that she would make when her devious plans were rolling into place. "Perfect timing, Marinette!" She clapped.

The dark-haired girl blinked. "Huh?"

"I need your threads!"

"My _what_?" She instinctively circled her torso with her arms.

Alya rolled her eyes. "Not _those_ threads, girl! The ones you use to sew! Those really strong ones that are impossible to snap!"

Slowly, the gears in her head turned and she understood where her friend was going with this. "You want me to fix the yoyo." She stated, dumbfounded.

"Yes!" She slung her backpack around and in front of her and pulled out the broken weapon. "With this much chaos, all the stores are closed and I've got nowhere to go! But _then…_ " She shoved the polkadotted contraption into her friend's hands. "My best friend who is coincidentally a junior designer just so happens to be right here and she is _totally_ gonna help me out, right?"

"And, uhh… what if this best friend of yours can't?"

Alya snickered and slapped her thigh. "Marinette, I love you and all, but this is not the time to joke. Ladybug needs us!"

"You can use your Ladyblog to call her over and give it to her! It's not necessary for us to actually repair it!"

Alya opened her mouth to retort, but whatever words that she had intended to say were knocked out of her tongue, replaced with a horrible shriek. Marinette turned and saw a flash of brown. A figure loomed over them, its muscular build casting a long shadow and cloaking them in momentary darkness. The girls stumbled back as the concrete beneath them moved, forming a tiny hill that seemed to have a mind of its own as it followed their movements in alarming speed. Grabbing Alya's arm, Marinette sprinted away. Rumble's laugh echoed off the trees and walls, pounding on their eardrums and teeth.

"It's gaining on us!" Alya eeped.

The hill began to grow in size with each passing step, absorbing the ground and leaving a trail of broken-up earth in its wake. If that wasn't bad enough, Alya's warning was a bit too close for comfort. The thing was only a few feet behind them, the height already surpassing their heads. If they took a closer look, the surface had a carving of a hungry monster, its jagged mouth and slanted eyes mocking their efforts of escape.

"Over here!" Marinette turned a sharp corner, holding tight on Alya to make sure she didn't fly off the path.

Their chaser, to their relief, hadn't expected the sudden change of course as it rammed into a cafe's patio, sending Parisians' food and coffee into the air and landing atop its supposed head. They whooped and high-fived each other and continued running. The bakery wasn't far away anymore.

Where was Chat Noir? Marinette couldn't help gnawing on her nails as she thought about her missing partner. He should be here by now. That black cat could practically smell trouble from a mile away! What the hell was he doing? If the ruckus in town wasn't loud enough, he should have felt those earthquakes, shouldn't he? The vibrations were all over Paris, after all. He couldn't have missed them.

She sensed her parents' presence before she even saw them. They were across the street, helping a few elderly people into their shop. Adrien wasn't with them.

"Mom! Papa!" Marinette jumped and wrapped her arms around Tom's neck, her legs dangling and his embrace crushing her. Sabine heaved a heavy sigh and said something in Chinese, a prayer of thanks, and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine, honey." Sabine pulled her robe around herself tighter and scowled. "You, young lady, are most definitely punished for running off like that! We were so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry, mom." Marinette bent down and hugged her. "I had to get something important." She showed her yoyo in her hand, causing a pair of gasps. "I need to get upstairs and fix this. Ladybug will get here as soon as she can."

"I'll guard her back!" Alya raised her hand.

Without waiting for a reply, they darted inside and made a wild dash for the stairs. The house was a wreck, the intricate vases were nothing but shards of ceramic on the floor, the books and plates out of their places, and the walls bared large cracks that lined from end to end. Marinette paused at the trap door of her room, frantically searching for Adrien. Did he go home? Did an ambulance come and fetch him? Was he alright?

"Hurry, Marinette!"

"Just a sec!"

The entire living room was quiet, no proof of anyone but themselves in the vicinity. Adrien wasn't here.

Mouthing a few unlady-like words at herself, she joined Alya in her room and grabbed her basket of needles, yarn, and threads. She chose a random string, testing its sturdiness for a second with her fingers, and then rolled it into the yoyo.

Alya pulled up her window only to have it creaking in protest, slipping off and crashing down to the street. Alya waved nervously at someone below. "Sorry about that!" She called. "At least you dodged it!"

After the desired length was reached, she grabbed her fallen scissors and snipped it, making a loop at the end and tying it firmly. "I finished it!" She triumphed.

"Great!" Taking out her phone, she positioned her camera right and grinned. "Hello, people of Paris! This is Alya, Ladyblog extraordinaire, coming at you live from my best friend's bedroom! She has a few things to say, so let's give the screen to her." She punched a button and gave a thumbs up with her right hand.

Marinette channeled her alter ego, drinking in the confidence and composed virtue of Ladybug. She stood up straight and gestured at the destruction around her. "As you can see, this certain Akuma isn't the kindest one and I'm willing to bet that most of you are wondering where the superhero duo are." _So am I, but at least I know where one of them is._ "But I assure you that it's not their fault for not coming immediately because they have lost a very significant piece of their battle. Ladybug, if you are watching this _please_ come and retrieve this," She showed the camera the yoyo briefly. "Alya, the maker of this blog, found it lying on the ground this morning. We've done everything we can to repair it and-"

There was a swooshing sound that came from the window. Alya beamed first before turning around and saying, "Wow, girl, you sure come fast-"

A pillar of dirt shot out and threw Alya to the far wall behind them, trapping her in a solid prison of sticky mud. She screamed and kicked and tried to free her arms but to no avail. Rumble chuckled before picking up the fallen cellphone. "Change of plans." He said in a deep, thundering voice. " _I'm_ getting Ladybug's weapon for her. Oh, don't fret, I'll take good care of it. I might even spare a few parts of it as a souvenir."

Marinette scrambled back until her hips bumped the side of her closet.

Rumble heard the sound and snapped his full attention on her. "Well, well, looks like another one wants to play." He grinned.

"Marinette, make a break for it!" Alya squirmed, but the mud was starting to drip down her legs and sticking them to the wall. "Get the yoyo and go!"

"I can't leave you here!" Marinette jumped when Rumble attempted to shoot another dirt bomb on her, the filth covering her teddy bear like a cocoon. She jumped and jumped again, each strike missing its target and finding purchase on her furniture. She silently hoped that her yoyo was really fixed because it would be a nightmare to clean this all up without any magic. Finally, she took cover under her desk. She opened her bag and let Tikki fly free. "We can't transform here." She said desperately.

"We have to lure him out and find a quiet place to do it!" Tikki flinched when she saw another shot being fired.

Nodding, she tucked the kwami into her jacket and leaped for the door. Just when her hand was a meter away, Rumble fired an extra sticky mud bomb onto the doorknob, rendering it of its use. They were trapped in here.

"Give the yoyo, little girl, and no one will get hurt." Rumble stepped forward but instantly halted and staggered a bit when a shoe flew to the side of his head.

Alya bared her teeth in frustration, one of her sneakers missing. "Uh, hello! I am obviously hurt here!" She huffed.

"Hang in there, Alya." Marinette swallowed. "Listen, Rumble, I'll give you the yoyo."

" _Marinette_!" Alya went white. "You can't just _give_ it to him! Ladybug will storm right in here any minute now!"

Tikki moved uneasily in her clothes and she resisted the urge to stroke her. "I'll give it to you when you get the hell out of my house first."

"Hear me, world!" He abruptly shouted into the air, lifting his arms up and showing off his biceps. "Ladybug's most precious weapon will fall into my hands! Take that, all of you reporters who said I can't land a scary punch!"

If Alya's hands were free, she would be face-palming. Marinette, however, plastered on her most endearing and innocent smile. "Perfect! Let's go right now! Oh, but wait…" She gestured to her door helplessly. "You blocked our only exit! What ever shall we do?"

"Nonsense! There is another exit!" He landed his fist onto her wall right next to her window - or the opening of it since the glass had found a place on the pavement below - and the entire brickwork collapsed, forming a huge hole that even a truck could fit in. Now she _seriously_ hoped that her magic wouldn't fail. It wasn't going to be flattering if the entire city could watch her change clothes. "Come! Bring the yoyo!" He bellowed before doing a cannonball, the world shaking as soon as he descends.

"Girl, don't do it." Alya pleaded. She tried for another pathetic kick. "Just let me get out of this and I'll-"

"I'm sorry, Alya. But I have to go down there."

"Are you nuts? He is the definition of a lunatic baboon! It's not safe!"

Throwing her a sly wink, she rolled the yoyo down and flicked it up again into her palm, pleased with her work. "Ladybug will come, remember?"

At this, her friend paused and stared at her. It was clear in her eyes that she was against her plan, but if the way she relaxed was anything to go by, Marinette knew that she had won. She bobbed her head up as best as she could to make her glasses bounce back in place. "Be careful."

"I will. And you'll get out of there soon, I promise." She stood at the edge of the gap, the height not affecting her in the slightest, but the cold outside still sent a shiver down her spine. Rumble waited for her with his hands wide opened. She clearly saw Sabine and Tom next to him, her mother weeping and trying to restrain her husband from knocking the lights out of the other man.

"Don't mind me." She attempted a shrug. "I'm just, you know, hangin'."

Letting out a breath, she noticed that it wasn't visible in the air. The cold had lessened and frost no longer lingered. It was a good sign, she figured. Spring was waiting and she was going to make sure that Paris was safe enough to welcome it. Lifting one leg, she closed her eyes and tried not to think about an akumatized man's beefy arms around her. She felt the tug of gravity taking its toll on her. The air whistled in her ears.

And something rough caught her around her waist.

She gasped and flailed, electricity winding up and down her body as fear seized her. The ground wasn't coming closer. It was getting farther away!

"Gotcha, princess."

She snapped her gaze to the side and was met with mischievous green. "Chat Noir?" She shouted through the wind. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm doing my job!" He answered cheekily. Baton in hand, he launched the both of them higher and landed on a distant rooftop. Marinette slid down and glared at him. The superhero raised a confused eyebrow at her. "What?"

"I had it under control!"

"Oh, right, my mistake. Next time I see a civilian trying to romantically jump into a bad guy's awaiting hug, I'll just let them do their thing and _not_ try to rescue them." He leaned on his baton and gave her a two-fingered salute. "You're welcome, by the way."

Marinette threw her arms up in exaggeration. Was this guy seriously trying to sass with her instead of saving the day? She made a mental note to scold him later when she was Ladybug. "Chat, you're not helping the situation." She grumbled before coming to stand directly in front of him. She jabbed her index finger at his chest and said, "We've been waiting for you and Ladybug to show up forever ago! What happened?"

"My a-paw-logies, my fair princess," With a speed that Marinette couldn't comprehend, he took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "But your shining knight in armor had to help others in dire need. Although, I suppose protecting you should have been my priority."

Growling, she wriggled her fingers out of his grasp and shoved at his nose until she had her personal space back in order. To make her even angrier, her body dared to betray her by making her stomach do flips and her face blushing. Damn hormones, not now! "Get this to its rightful owner." She tossed her yoyo at him.

He caught it with ease and smirked. "May I ask why you have my lady's prized possession, princess?"

"No, you may not." She twisted her body to look down at the city. Rumble was definitely furious about of their trickery. He was yelling and stomping his foot all over the place, making more cracks and miniature hills like the one before. Marinette wasn't all that eager to find out what they could do if a victim were to fall. "Think you can handle him, kitty?"

"I've fought many other soldiers before. This'll be a piece of cake." He cracked his knuckles and positioned his baton for combat.


	4. Chapter 4

It hurt.

Every muscle in his back screamed at him for rest, for a cool ice pack, or just stay still in general. His arms and legs shook from the throb. For a brief second, he worried that his father would assign him a shirtless photo shoot. It'd be bad enough if the staff saw it, he didn't need Gabriel to question him and possibly put him on lock down. In desperation, while Sabine was putting some Chinese balm on his wound, he had asked Tom and her to keep quiet about his condition and fled, yelling out a quick thank you on the way. He felt bad for running off like that, especially when they were so worried about him, and he made an important note to himself that he'd visit them and Marinette soon.

 _Marinette._

His baton nearly slipped out of his hands mid-landing.

Marinette. Did she really confess to him, Adrien Agreste, aka socially awkward blondie? He had spent a good ten minutes wondering if his mind had conjured that up after finding all those magazine clippings on her walls. Maybe his eyes had played tricks on him too? Maybe his ears had malfunctioned and heard the 'love of my life' thing instead of something else? Maybe his heart wasn't working, because he was having trouble controlling it. It kept racing in his chest, occasionally stopping when he tried to think about Marinette and her sweet smile that seemed so familiar and so strange at the same time.

He yelped in surprise when Rumble brought down his gigantic fists, barely saving his tail as he jumped out of the way and skittered to a stop, baton in his shaking hands.

Don't think about Marinette. Focus on the fight. Don't think about her freckles and pigtails. Don't think about her blue eyes. Don't think-

He growled, more to himself rather than his opponent, and extended his baton into a staff. He needed to get this done _fast_. He'd get the thoughts out of his system later.

He lunged at the large man and whacked him upside the head. Rumble stumbled, trying to grab the lithe cat as he circled around his legs. Chat Noir knocked his legs right out from under him and pumped his fist in the air victoriously as he watched him fall.

Which was a mistake.

The instant his body made contact with the ground, an earthquake woke the entire neighborhood in large waves of rubble and stone. From a few meters away, a water pipe exploded from underground, creating a miniature storm. Chat, his hair dripping, scowled. This day just kept better and better.

Although his suit helped him move around more freely, he still felt the pain shoot up his spine and into his skull. His breathing was beginning to waver, the air suddenly too thick for his throat. What's worse, Rumble was back on his feet and roaring.

Chat ducked and dodged his attacks and tried to land a few. Though the man was nearly twice his size, he was fast. He roughly recognized him from TV as Plagg would sometimes flip the channels and comment how bad the movies were, and at some point this morning he had stopped on a boxing match just in time to see one of the fighters get KO-ed on the first hit. He guessed that this big guy must've been him.

He prayed that his big hands wouldn't touch his face because _damn_ this guy was strong. Even from the wind of his blows he could tell that if he managed to get him, it wouldn't feel like a gentle caress at all. Adrenaline raced through his blood as he contemplated what to do. He could go low and swipe his legs again, but that'll just cause more trouble for the citizens. It wasn't even possible for his hands to reach all the way up to Rumble's head. That just leaves his torso, which could be handled if-

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of red and black.

Rumble grabbed him by his bell and yanked. "Aha!" He grinned. "Gotcha now, kitty-cat!"

"Oh, you sure did," Chat Noir tried to suppress his snicker. "After all that _fishing_ around, you finally got a Chat-ch. So, what are you gonna do, good sir?"

"I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do!" He shook him in triumph and laughed. "I'm gonna take your miraculous and present it to Hawkmoth! He'll be so pleased."

"I bet. But you'd better take a look behind you first."

"Huh?" Raising an eyebrow, he turned around. And crumbled into a heap on Chat's feet.

Ladybug dusted off her hands as she marveled her work. "Wow, he's got one strong nose - my fingers feel kinda numb."

"Let me have the pleasure of healing them for you, my lady," He bowed dramatically, ignoring the pain, and brought her hand to his lips.

Ladybug scoffed and flicked his forehead. "I think you have something of mine, my dear partner."

Smirking, he presented the yoyo to her, the surface glinting under the sun. He watched, if not a little transfixed, as she plucked it out from his palm and tested it out. Up and down it went, the string seeming to shimmer with magic as it reconstructed the mundane material into something stronger, more miraculous.

She bent down and retrieved Rumble's item - his boxing glove - and ripped it in half, purifying the akuma inside and setting it free. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Rumble was coated in black and purple bubbles, the evil inside him evaporating and restoring his normal self. "What happened?" He rubbed at the spot where Ladybug had punched. "Ouch."

"I'm very sorry about that, sir." She sheepishly said. "You're going to be fine, though. Things are wrapping up as we speak."

The thousands of ladybugs swarmed the vicinity, repairing houses and roads and tidying up every piece of furniture. Under a minute, everything was back to its rightful place, completely unscathed.

Chat Noir, though, wasn't prepared when the little bugs engulfed him in a flutter of wings and buzzes. They flew in a fast circle around his chest and back, and he felt the bruise disappear. Once they were gone, he twisted and bent, relishing the pain-free movements. He felt absolutely _awesome_.

"Did you get hurt in the fight?" Ladybug asked.

"Um, yeah, you could say that." He scratched the back of his head and smiled.

That's right. He had his lady. He was a taken guy. Or, well, it was more of a one-sided thing, but his heart was someone else's nonetheless. He adored Ladybug; his partner, his teammate. She was without a doubt the most beautiful and courageous being he had ever laid eyes on, and that would never change.

"Good work, lovebug," He offered her his fist and, with a small smile, she fist-bumped him.

"Good work to you too, Chat Noir." She stepped back and looked at him, a strange expression plastered on. "Listen, about the other night…"

Chat couldn't tell if his soul sang with the memory or if his gut had merely plummeted with dread. "Yes?"

"I shouldn't have… invaded your space like that. I was just worried about you and…" She eyed his bandaged cheek and frowned. "I should've been more cautious."

"About me getting hurt or about letting me kiss your neck?"

Blushing, she waved her hands to ward off his question. "Chat…"

He sighed and dropped his head.

A one-sided love, huh? Did Marinette go through these feelings too? The feeling of being so close to the one you love and yet never being able to touch them? The rejection, the anxiety, the pressure of wanting to climb over the walls; it was exhausting at times. Although, he and Ladybug were close friends. The two of them were inseparable and they _needed_ each other no matter what kind of relationship they were in. But for Marinette and Adrien, it was different. They didn't talk on a regular basis. Heck, it was difficult to hold one conversation with her because she would panic and run away. He had thought that it was because she didn't like him, or perhaps he just wasn't the type of person she wanted to hang out with. But after today…

Ladybug snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, jostling him to the present. "You okay there, Chat?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I just, ah," He looked away from her, embarrassed. How could he think about another girl when his lady was right there with him? "I have a lot on my mind right now. I should probably go."

"Hey," She touched his shoulder to stop him. "Are we, you know, okay?"

"What do you mean, my lady?"

"I don't… want things to be awkward after… uhh... what happened."

He offered her a toothy grin and a salute. "We're as dandy as ever, I promise you. Now, if you'd excuse your cat," He used his baton to launch into the air, "I have some things to do!"

The trip home was swift, but the time he spent in his room wasn't. Plagg was lying on his cushion, munching on some cheese and pretending not to notice his chosen pacing around the couch.

"I don't get it!" Adrien exclaimed. "Marinette… how… when the hell did she…"

"It's about time she said something."

" _What_?!" Adrien was up in his kwami's face half a second later, glaring. "You knew?!"

"Duh."

Adrien opened his mouth, but no words formed and he shut it closed again.

Plagg gave him a sideways glance. "You really didn't know?"

"Does it look like I knew the whole time?" Scrubbing his face with his hands, he took a seat next to the black creature. "God, Marinette. I feel… I feel…"

"Flattered?" Plagg supplied, biting another chunk out of his camembert.

"No. I mean, a little. I-I appreciate… her feelings but…"

"Then try going out with her." Plagg shrugged nonchalantly. "The new relationship thing could really help you with your social skills."

"Not funny, Plagg." Sighing, he leaned back and let his head dangle from the couch. "Marinette's one of the first few friends I've made."

"And your point?"

"I don't… I…"

"Honestly, kid, I'm not really following your mood." Throwing the leftover camembert in the air, he caught the whole thing in his mouth and chewed happily. "You've handled girls falling all over you before. Why is Marinette so difficult?"

"It's different with her, Plagg. She's… cute and funny, a little clumsy, and when she gets flustered her cheeks always turn into this pretty shade of pink where her freckles get all-" He stopped abruptly and groaned, digging the heels of his palms into his eyeballs. "Shiiiiiit."

"Ah, so it's like that, eh?" Plagg lifted himself in the air and floated next to the blond's ear. "You have a crush on her!" Plagg sang, followed by a hysterical laugh.

And that was when Adrien's heart stopped.

And came back to life a second later only to do a crazy marathon around his lungs.

He _what_?

"Oh God, this is rich." Plagg wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "You're more of a tomcat than I thought!"

Adrien balled his shirt with his fist, clutching and twisting the fabric to help slow down his heart. It did no help. Swallowing, he croaked out, "I love Ladybug."

"And you're a bit smitten with Marinette as well, apparently."

"That's not true!" He sat bolt upright, his mind racing and dizzy. "That's not… true."

"Or…"

"Or?"

"Nahh, forget it."

"Plagg!"

"Alright, alright. Get me another slice of camembert and I'll talk."

Adrien growled and made to grab the little kwami, but the ancient creature just zipped away. "Tell me!"

Letting out a bored breath, Plagg said, "You're in heat."

The boy blinked. And again. In heat? What does that mean? He didn't feel particularly hot. The temperature has risen, sure, but not to the point where he -

"You're part cat, idiot." Plagg said. "You've got the hormones of a feline. Spring's coming. We animals have a little adult fun during those times. Ring any bells yet?"

Animals. Spring. He glanced at Plagg, at his chest, and back again to Plagg. When the image clicked, his mouth dropped to the floor, horrified. "Mating season?!" He squeaked.

"Bingo. Now, the camembert?"

"You can't be serious! You didn't tell me that I'd… I'd…"

"Be horny for an entire season? Yeah, it slipped my mind. Whoops."

"Can't I just turn it off or something?"

Plagg laughed.

"I'm serious! How am I supposed to survive spring if all I want to do is…" He gulped heavily, not daring to finish that sentence. "Fix it!"

"Oh relax, kid. You won't jump every girl you see in an alley. At least, most of my kittens didn't."

"Terrific." He felt drained suddenly, his nerves and emotions addled to a blob. Plopping back on the couch, he rested his head on the armrest, his hands cupped under his hair. He stared at the ceiling for a minute or ten, trying to piece together what the day had brought.

Marinette liked him. Well, if he were brave enough to say it, she might actually feel something deeper for him than just a simple 'like'. She had said that she _loved_ him. Unconsciously, his heartbeat skipped for the hundredth time that afternoon. How could he have not noticed it? The way she would stutter only around him and no one else, the way she would smile so much brighter when they actually did talk to each other, and especially the way she looked at him. It was almost like the way he would look at his lady - filled with admiration, hope, and joy.

But he didn't look at her like that. He saw her as a precious friend. He could never bring himself to break her heart. She was fragile, he thought, and she was too kind and selfless to press the issue. She wasn't like Chloe - thank God for that - who was extremely pushy in her approach. He was so glad that a girl like Marinette could have such deep affection for him, and it brought a gentle smile to his lips.

Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Princess. He repeated those names, thinking that it might not have as big of an impact as earlier, but it still did. He still felt the blush creeping up his cheeks. He still felt the weight and pull on his chest.

"Does this mating season stuff do weird things to your perspective of other people?" Adrien asked.

"If by weird things you mean that you see a lot of girls as sexy vixens, then yes."

He groaned in dismay.

"Joking. Err, partially. But on a completely serious note, if you're wondering about Marinette, you should see for yourself tomorrow. It's possible that you might just be having physical desires for her," Adrien flinched, "or it might be something even more disgusting. Human emotions. Yuck."

Honestly, he didn't know which was worse.

After a sleepless night, he was a wreck. He didn't bother trying to brush his hair. He skipped breakfast. He forgot a few textbooks and had to come back twice to get them, much to the annoyance of his chauffeur the Gorilla. Nathalie had clicked her tongue at him, but he'd just sent her a wary shrug and left. He was too tired, both mentally and physically, to deal with professionalism.

He dragged his feet on the ground, mouthing greetings to his schoolmates and bumping into several pillars. By the time he made it to class, he was grateful beyond belief. Landing his butt on his bench, he dropped his bag from his shoulder and closed his eyes with a loud whine.

"Uh, okay, wow," Nino said beside him. "You look horrible, man."

"Thanks. I try."

"Rough night after those freaky earthquakes?"

"You could say that." He pressed his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose. "Damn, I need a nap."

"I could totes cover you if you want."

"No. They'll ask questions. I just need a high dose of caffeine, is all."

"Comin' right up." Nino stood and fired a gun sign at him. "My treat."

"That'd be great, man. Thanks."

The boys fist-bumped before Nino left the classroom.

Struggling to keep his eyes open, he tried to focus on something other than sweet darkness. He should've asked for Nino's headphones. Some music could slap him awake.

He sighed and turned to rummage around his bag for his regular earpiece when a strand of dark hair came into view.

Blood rushed into his brain and he felt light-headed.

Marinette was behind him, unexpectedly early, and she was asleep. Her arms were folded on her desk, her face half buried in them as quiet snores escaped her mouth.

Her mouth. Her goddamn mouth. So pink and fine and kissable.

He set his jaw and restrained his thoughts from wandering too deep into the gutter. This was not the time to be a hormonal teenager.

Fortunately, Alya wasn't here yet. Chloe and Sabrina weren't in the classroom either, even though their bags were there. They might come back soon, a rational part reminded him, but another part of him wanted to savor the limited time of staring at this girl.

She was adorable when she slept. Pure peacefulness etched into her features, making her look like a lost angel. Her pigtails were messy and the black locks laid over the wood like a carpet. His fingers twitched for a stray hair that fell over her forehead. Lifting them, he carefully brushed it back, double checking for any unwanted spectators.

Marinette stirred, moaning something he couldn't hear, and he pulled back.

Her brilliant blue eyes opened slowly.

Adrien was frozen. _Turn back_ , his head screamed. _If you value your life, turn back now._

But he didn't want to. He couldn't.

She rose from the desk, yawning and rubbing at her sleepy eyes.

And their gazes locked.

Green on blue, their exhaustion sapped out and replaced with alertness. Marinette gasped first and slammed her back to the desk behind her. She looked… scared? Adrien's heart dropped at the sight. He wasn't used to that and he definitely didn't like it.

He should say something. He should answer her statement from yesterday. But what was it he was supposed to utter? She loved him. And he was in a stupid mating-season-crisis.

 _"Hey, I would absolutely love to make out with you right now but I'm afraid that that's just my hormones talking."_

How was he supposed to explain?

Marinette made a sound like a strangled puppy before sprinting off her seat.

"Marinette, wait!" Adrien called out, but she was already out the door. The fatigue that he had been bringing with him all morning was kicked out of his bones as he followed her trail. She was running and avoiding him as if he were a psychotic serial killer out to stab her. He shouted her name again, but it landed on deaf ears.

She pushed opened the girls' bathroom door, forcing him to stop his pursuit. He banged on the wood after it swooshed closed. "Come on, Marinette." He sighed. "We should talk about this."

A sob.

As if his hand had been burned, he stumbled back and nearly lost his balance. She was crying.

He felt sick and guilty and even more so with each passing hiccup that Marinette made. Though it was muffled, he could still very much hear her distress. He wanted to reach out to her, comfort her. Girls' bathroom be damned, but the thing that held him back was his own blank brain. What was he supposed to do? Scoop her into his arms and declare that he too returned her feelings?

He gripped his jacket right at the spot where his heart was. He would do it if he truly did feel that way. Ladybug was his loved one. He knew that the chances he had with the superhero were slim, but he still hung from a string of hope. He wasn't willing to let that go just yet.

Staring at the door, he placed his forehead on it, not really caring anymore about the curious gazes he was probably attracting.

And he realized that Marinette had also thrown him another string of hope, one that was so much thicker and sturdier, and she was waiting at the end with a welcoming smile. He also realized, with so much hesitation and clearness at the same time, that he was holding on to it too.

Marinette was in there, sad and lonely and confused, and it was because of him. Was she going to cut that string before he even began to climb?

"Marinette, please." He tried knocking. Silence was the only reply he got. "I care about you, Marinette. It's just that… things are complicated right now. I'm not sure how-"

The door swung forward and he almost headbutted Marinette in the nose. Yelping, she jumped back and so did he.

Her eyes were rimmed with red, the irises dull and lifeless. A vicious pang pierced him as he took in the sight.

Quickly, she ducked her head and walked past him. "I can take rejection." She was saying, "I just need some privacy to deal with it."

"Look at me," Adrien grabbed her wrist, effectively halting her. "Marinette. Look at me."

"No. You don't have to sugar coat it, Adrien." She struggled to wrench his hand away. "I screamed at you. _Screamed._ I know that you would never go for a… c-confession like that." With a final, strong tug she managed to free herself. "Forget it ever happened."

"I thought about it all night." Adrien willed her eyes to look up, look at him as he had requested, but they stayed glued to her shoes. By her tense posture, she seemed ready to flee at any second.

She gulped and took a step back. "And?"

"And… I-I… I umm…"

Sniffing, she covered her nose and mouth with one hand, another wave of tears forming in her lashes. "I knew it."

This time, when she backed away, he let her. Every step she took, the farther the distance she formed between them, was another crack to his spirit. Because, honestly, how was he supposed to explain?


	5. Chapter 5

"Marinette?"

The girl shrieked in shock, nearly falling off her chair. When she realized who was calling her, she bolted up and away in a speed that even a cheetah couldn't keep up with.

Adrien sighed gloomily.

It was lunch break, the sun high in the clouds and yet he hadn't made any progress with Marinette's mood. All throughout their morning periods, he'd just stared into space, working his brain overtime with thinking of ways he could strike up a conversation with the girl behind him. He had tried twisting around to ask for a pencil ─ a pathetic excuse, he knew, because he had a number of them stashed in his bag ─ but Marinette had just gone red like a tomato, stuttered something incoherent, and pulled up her textbook to block his eyes from hers.

Another failed attempt was during chemistry. He noticed that she was having trouble with her matches and, ever the smooth guy, had sauntered up a tad bit too eagerly to help out. Let's just say that that had ended with a huge bang indeed. Adrien patted the blackened patch of his shirt idly.

And this was his third, in the middle of the school's courtyard, at the head of a picnic table, completely rejected once again. He watched as Marinette's pigtails bounced on her back before disappearing altogether through a hallway.

He slumped on one of the benches and put his head in his hands.

"Marinette," Her name came out in a whoosh, almost an exhale, as he tasted the syllables for perhaps the twentieth time. "Marinette. Dupain. C-Cheng."

His throat closed up at the end and he didn't know why. He also didn't know why his heart was still hammering in his ribs.

It's been nearly twenty four hours since her (sort of) confession, and his brain was still short circuited. She still seemed to radiate this warm aura despite the distance between them. She still had a hint of a gentle blush, one that he remembered as the blush she wore when she was a bit flustered. She still smelled so strongly of butter and chocolate, as if the bakery's scent followed her everywhere.

Or was that just him?

He recalled not having realized these details two days ago or the days before it. He had only ever seen her as Marinette ─ his shy and clutzy classmate. What has changed in him? He confirmed that he was still very much in love with Ladybug. The thought of the red hero still sent a tingle of admiration down his spine. He was still looking forward to their next fight together. He still wanted to see her.

But Marinette, goddamn _Marinette_ , was like a plague for his mentality, his consciousness, and his emotions. She did more than make him tingle; she made him shiver as if he'd just got done with an Ice Bucket Challenge. The mere mention of her jump-started his pulse. He was so tense and so focused on her that it was starting to scare him.

"Are you quite finished?" Plagg mumbled from the boy's pocket, clearly not satisfied with the events that the day brought on. "Because I am famished and in need of a snack. Some camembert, if you will. And maybe a soda."

"Can't you let me mope for a few more hours in peace?" Adrien grumbled.

"No. Hunger calls, kid! Chop, chop, the cheese awaits!"

Tired, he rose from his spot and went for his bag. And a light bulb flickered over his head.

"Plagg," Adrien whispered. "Tell you what. I'll give you all the cheese that you want today."

"Oh," The little black kwami paused. "Um, yay?"

"Buuuuut," Chat Noir's mischievous grin appeared suddenly, as lively as ever. "You're gonna have to go along with my plan for tonight."

"Ah." Plagg clicked his tongue. "Figures."

Chuckling, Adrien rewinded a scene behind his eyes, making sure to cover up any loopholes that his impromptu arrangement held, and checked whether his flying cat friend was contently full or just plain full. He was going to need max batteries later, after all.

Hours passed on, if not a bit too sluggish for his nerves, and he finally found himself back in his room, the sky a dark shade of onyx. He bounced on the balls of his feet for a second to let the last of his jitteriness flow away. "It's just Marinette," He reminded himself. He repeated those three words again and again until all tension was drained out into his carpet.

He had it all figured out. He was going to swoop in as Chat Noir, the cool and charming black cat who she couldn't possibly find as a threat, and sweet-talk his way into digging as much information as he could. Why was she so in love with boring old Adrien? When had that started? Was she planning on ever talking to him again? And the most crucial question: what was it that she wanted him to do? He was going to find out the answers to all that, salute a goodbye, and vault back home. Simple as that.

"Plagg, Claws Out!"

The transformation swirled over his figure, bathing him in black and injecting confidence into his blood. Chat Noir extended his baton and dove into the night.

Spring had already arrived, he noticed for the first time that day. No sign of snow, birds and little animals perching on trees, and a few shrubs consisting early bloomers. He stopped and picked a rose, a cheesy thing to do, but it fitted the situation. Tucking the stem between his teeth, he continued to journey over rooftops and lamp posts until he spotted the bakery. It was closed at this late hour, and the shop itself was dark, but there was light emanating from a window which he guessed lead to Marinette's room.

With a cat's stealth and eeriness, he landed on her balcony and pulled the frame of her window up with a clawed finger. "Princess," He crooned, "Your knight has─"

A horrified scream sliced the air and he wasn't sure if it came from him or the girl in front of him.

Words died on his tongue. The saliva in his mouth evaporated suddenly and left his throat scorching. Standing in the middle of the room was Marinette, her hair loose and damp, and she was desperately clutching a towel over her ─ oh good Lord ─ naked body. Now, there were a few things that he managed to register. One was being that she looked positively lovely with her hair splayed over her shoulders and back like that and he had to restrain an appreciative growl. Second was that she had freckles dotting her pale arms, and her legs looked so much longer without any jeans covering them. And third being that _he was still staring._

"I… guhh… I-I'm so…" He wondered distantly if he had accidentally swallowed his tongue while he was oggling. With his body half in and half out of her window, he found it hard to will his legs to work. He knew he had to get out of there _now_ , but fuck if he wasn't tempted to step inside.

So, it was Marinette who decided for him. "Pervert!" She screeched. Her hands found purchase at a hairbrush and she flung it at him. "The hell with you!" Again, she grabbed another object and threw.

"W-Wait!" He caught the things before they smacked him in the head. "I didn't know you just got out of the shower! I'm sorry!"

She screamed once more and threw a basket full of yarn at him. This time, it was a bullseye. He fell back and nearly whacked his skull on the metal railing. The air in his lungs was knocked right of him as his back made contact with the floor.

Marinette slammed her window shut and pulled the curtains tight.

"Princess!" Scrambling on his knees, he rapped at the glass in futile. "It was a mistake, I swear!"

"Get lost!"

"I only came here to check up on you."

A loud huff. And then the drapes parted just a fraction to reveal Marinette's furious face. Her mouth formed the word, "What?"

Keeping his voice as clear as he could, he answered, "I want to talk. Just for awhile. Please?"

She seemed to be weighing her options as she looked him over. He tried to suppress the amusement and lust he felt as to not alert her to his dirty mind. She was adorable when she pouted like that. She was even more so with that blush, angry or not. A darker part of his imagination sprung up images of a few ways he could bring that pretty shade of red for an encore.

 _Easy there, big guy,_ his more rational brain snapped. _Don't you jump on her now. Even though she does look magnificently delicious._

Finally, the girl at the other end sighed. "Fine. Stay there first." And then she was gone.

A minute or two passed and all Chat Noir could think about was what exactly she tried to hide under that pathetic excuse of a towel…

He groaned and laid back on the wall. Damn, he never knew just how much desire a girl could inflict on someone until tonight.

Said girl cued his entrance with a grumpy, "Come in."

She sat on her spinny chair, wearing a white shirt and pink boy shorts. She scowled at him. "What do you want, kitty?"

Chat Noir swallowed before allowing his bravado to surface. "Why, is it a sin for a faithful knight to see his princess?" He purred. With as much suave he could muster, he handed her the rose he had been holding.

She accepted it, not flattered in the least. "It is if said knight were to climb up her tower only to peep."

"I deeply regret that." _No, I really, really don't._ "But my intentions are as pure as your heart, princess."

"And what are these 'intentions'?" To emphasize, she made air quotes on the last word.

"As Paris's dutiful hero, I have an obligation to see its citizen's safety, you see. You were a victim of today's akuma attack, and I'm here to make sure that you're okay."

She still didn't take his bait. "And Alya? She was more of a victim than I was."

"Ohhh…" He paused. "Well, I would love to visit her, but unfortunately I don't have her address."

Marinette raised an eyebrow but shrugged in the end. "Alright. That's a fair excuse."

Chat Noir's ears perked up. Feeling bold, he glided across the floor and went to stand in front of her. He attempted to take her hand, but she swatted him away with her rose. She smirked when he moaned in protest. "Not so fast, kitty. You're still in trouble."

 _Oh, I'm afraid I certainly am._ His systems abruptly shut down when he caught a whiff of her shampoo. It was a delicate smell of strawberries, and it didn't help that she hadn't tied her hair. It still hung over her face and flowed down to her collarbone. His eyes wandered south out of its own accord and he saw a hint of pink, and it wasn't her shorts…

"Chat!" Marinette exclaimed and raised her shirt higher.

Blinking, he focused on the present and was leveled with blue eyes. A deeper color of red was splattered over her nose and cheeks. And then he realized it. He had eye-fucked her and nearly dipped his head down the front of her shirt.

Instinctively, he backed away, but he didn't get too far as his back hit her table. "I-I'm so sorry!" He yelped. "I wasn't in control and I just…"

Marinette, too embarrassed, whipped her head to the side, breaking eye contact.

He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He gazed straight ahead, and his heart fell to his stomach. On the far wall, the pictures and magazine clippings were gone.

He made a strangled sound behind his throat.

"Um, kitty?"

Slowly, he stared at her.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and said, "This isn't a good night. You should go."

"Princess…"

She got up and walked towards him. His heart skipped. "I'm fine, and Alya's fine, so your job is finished." She touched his chest then and her eyes went wide as saucers. "Whoa, what the…"

Without her saying it, he already knew. His heartbeat was too fast. His head spun at the proximity. He was grateful for the table behind him so he could dig his hands at the edges instead of her hips. But that resolve was diminishing with every breath he took.

Tantalizingly slow, her eyes went up to meet his. She didn't say anything.

His right hand slithered around her and found purchase on the small of her back. He pulled her flush against him, and he reveled at the feel of her. He didn't complain at the sexy moan she emitted either.

Both palms were pressed between them. She stuttered, "C-Chat… what are you doing?"

"I don't know," He whispered in her ear, and it was the most truthful thing he'd said all day. He brushed the tip of his nose along the line of her jaw. "I don't know."

She sighed, the gesture ruffling his hair and warming his skin in sweet torture. "This is dangerous…"

"You should know by now that I live with danger," He chuckled at the soft thump she sent to his abdomen. His second hand came to play, tangling itself with her hair, and he purposely scraped his claw down the back of her neck. She mewled and shuddered visibly, stumbling into him more. The chains that he had wounded around him was beginning to crack and he promptly gasped when he saw that this very girl was the one who was freeing him. Her fingers walked up to his neck, right at the base of his quickening pulse. He purred, encouraging her, and she obliged by slipping through his hair and behind his ears, behind his head, and then she _tugged._

He braced against the table, surprised at her demanding hands as it roamed his locks, eliciting a groan from him, and her other hand traveled down to his belt. "Chat Noir…" She breathed. Her top lip brushed his bottom lip, and they both inhaled sharply.

He should stop. He had to stop. This wasn't the reason he came. He only wanted to ask her a few things. Playing with her like this; it was wrong. He was Chat Noir now, not Adrien, and the black cat had no right to touch her this way. He was supposed to stay in an alley and be a good feline, watching her from afar and wait for his lady to pick him up.

"Marinette─"

They locked eyes, green to blue, and he froze. They were big with anticipation and want. Her lips were parted slightly, her chest heaving, and he wavered. Why? Why hadn't he realized how beautiful Marinette was? Why hadn't he noticed that perfectly curved waist, those constellations of freckles, these wicked fingers, and that pair of pink lips? Why hadn't he liked her before?

He felt her lean in at that moment. His princess, standing on her tiptoes, holding him by his hair, was going to do something that was going to change everything entirely.

With a strength he didn't know existed, he held up a finger to her approaching mouth. "Adrien," he practically panted. "You love him, don't you?"

She halted, a bit more conscious. "What?"

"I heard. Don't ask how." Hating the look of hurt in her irises, he planted a kiss to her forehead and let the tip of his nails dance over her delicate neck. "Do you love him? Truly?"

"I do," She answered without hesitation. "But he doesn't feel the same way."

"How do you know?"

"All I saw was pity in his eyes." Her voice cracked at the end. She swallowed and continued, "I'm not his type. I knew that. But I loved him nonetheless."

"How come?"

She tilted her head back to give him a quizzical look. "What's with the interrogation, kitty? Are you possibly jealous?"

He scoffed, whether at her question or the sheer irony of it, he didn't know. He glanced at the empty wall again. "You're done with him, then?"

"No." To his shock and excitement, she gripped at him once again. "And you're not done with Ladybug either."

"Fair point." He in turn reached for her light pink bra strap, pulling and snapping it back to her shoulder. She jumped. "So, is it wrong that we seem to be infatuated with each other?"

"Oh, definitely." He felt her lips finally, _finally,_ press against his awaiting ones, and as quick as it had happened, she retracted. "And is it wrong that I'm a little afraid?"

"If it makes you feel any better," His last restraint was violently torn apart as Marinette moved to the spot just below his jaw, nipping at the sensitive skin there and driving him farther to oblivion. An animalistic need took over his body and he whirled, switching their positions so fast that a box of pencils was sent flying across the room, but none of them cared. Marinette, being pushed back, slid up the top of her table until her ass was firmly sitting on it, and Chat took the chance of slipping between her thighs. "I'm a little afraid, too." He kissed her once, fast and short, and tried not to linger too much on the taste. Talk now, make-outs soon. "But I swear. If you give me the slightest permission, I will take you right here, right now." He kissed her again, this time making sure he used his tongue to tease at her bottom lip. She tasted so thickly of sugar. "Because I want you so bad. And I can't figure out why."

"I want you, too." She was just as desperate as he was, he noticed with a jolt. She grabbed at his bell and wrapped her legs around him, effectively trapping him. Well, he wasn't planning on escaping, either way. "But before that, I need to make sure of something."

"What is it?" He placed a hand on each of her thigh, impatient.

"Is it alright if I still love Adrien?"

He let out a breathless laugh. Honestly, what was he supposed to do? This girl was something else. He couldn't, for the life of him, get in her head and now here he was, wrapped around her little finger as they shared the same air. "I'm more than okay with it."

She kissed him.

And he forgot how to think afterwards.

Feverish. Raw. Passionate. It was all affection, lust, and hunger wrapped up in one. For what seemed like decades, Chat let himself drown in the sensations of Marinette, of how soft and oh so sinful that her lips and tongue were. They wasted no time in savoring each other since they've droned it out long enough. He forced her teeth to open a path for him, memorizing the sound of her moan, before he teased her. Swirling and fighting, they challenged each other for dominance, neither of them backing down or letting the other win. He grunted when she ran her rounded nails down his shoulder blades and he wished that his suit was gone. He needed to feel all of her.

Not satisfied yet, he ran his gloved hand up her legs, occasionally dipping under the line of her shorts but never going too far. She responded by tightening her hold and panting out his name. Smirking, he pushed on with his relentless mouth, using her dazed mind to his advantage so he could roam more freely. Something dripped down his chin, and the mere thought of it perhaps being Marinette's drool flipped a feral switch inside him.

He growled when he felt the absence of her hands in his hair but was quickly replaced with a moan when she slid them forward and under his bell. He felt her unzipping him, and he was thankful for the small release. Though the zipper ended only below his ribs, Marinette didn't leave him. She rubbed at his bare shoulders first, marveling his muscles, and she went down and down…

"Fuck…" Chat Noir whimpered. "No idea… how good… you were…"

Her hot tongue darted out and swiped at his lips. "I could say the s-same for you, kitty," She smiled shakily. "You're a good French kisser."

"I can give you a lot more if you lose the top." He grinned at her, a creeping blush already on its way to her features. He thanked his mask for concealing his own.

She crossed her arms in front of her and Chat found himself at lost of words as he watched her take the garment off, tossing it to the side with shy laugh. "I've never done this before."

"You think I have?" He raked his eyes over her creamy torso, stopping too long at her chest. "Wow…"

"Cat got your tongue?" She giggled before leaning down to press a kiss on his neck.

"M-More like a princess, really…" He rubbed her bare back in possessive circles, sometimes teasing the clasp of her bra and earning himself an eager squirm.

He bowed his head and captured her throat between his teeth, nibbling and biting and leaving red marks in his wake. When he reached the spot where her neck and shoulder met, he bit extra hard. Marinette eeped. "Chat!"

"Mine." He said shortly, but there was something wild and urgent about that one word that sent the both of them at the tip of ruin. And he looked forward to shattering in her arms. "Where's your bed?" He asked suddenly.

"O-On the… next level." She pointed a quivering finger to a ladder.

He shook his head. "Too far." He abruptly grabbed her by the bottom, hoisting her into his embrace as he guided them to the wall. The wall which previously had his pictures but now stood bare and vacant. He mourned at the lost, because with it gone, it meant that Marinette was starting to erase him out of her memories.

Chat slammed her back to it and proceeded to devour her lips. A needy gasp echoed in his ears and he took it as an invitation to go further. He tugged at the ends of her shorts until they fell in a heap around her ankles. He couldn't peel his eyes off her legs as she kicked the material away and bestowed him a pair of white panties.

"I wish I could undress you," Marinette whined.

"You wish you can undress Adrien, not me." He knelt down then so he could trap the side of her underwear between his teeth. He refused to look at her expression. Hurt, guilt, or confirmation; he didn't need to know.

He felt her fingers tangle in his hair. He paused. "I love him," She said. "But I chose to let _you_ do this, Chat Noir."

A second passed. And he released her.

Marinette fell limp as she slid down the wall, Chat only managing to stop her from hitting the floor. Engulfing her in a tight hug, he rocked them back and forth, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as his rational mind came back to life.

What had he done?


End file.
